Electric water-heater.



H. G. WEEK'S.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED DEG.14,1911.

1,116,339,- Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Z SHEETSSHEET 1.

I Y W H. G. WEEKS.

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.14, 1911.

1,116,339. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARRY e. WEEKS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

Application filed December 14, 1911. I Serial No. 665,861.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY G. WEEKS, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Water-Heaters. of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric Water heaters of the kind in which a coil or heat unit is arranged upon an upright tubular heating chamber that holds the water to be heated and from the upper end of which the hot water is drawn off from time to time when needed. In an electric water heater of this kind the Water must be supplied to the said chamber in such manner as to keep it filled. Also, suitable -means must be provided for covering the said coil or heat unit to reduce the loss of heat. v

My invention relates more particularly to the said means for supplying the water and covering the heat unit or coil.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a novel and etiicient electric water heater of the foregoing general character.

Special objects are to provide a construction whicliwill obviate the necessity of employing certain devices and features of construction heretofore considered necessary or desirable; to provide an arrangement whereby the water is fed to the bottom of the heating chamber, which latter is in no other way connected with the reservoir above; to provide efficient and novel means for covering the coil or heat unit to prevent loss of heat; and to provide certain details and combinations tending to increase the general efliciency 'of an electric water heater of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical section of an electric water heater embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 'is a side elevation of the covering for the heat unit, a portion thereof being broken away to show the said unit or coil. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 in Fig. 1.- Fig. 4 is a similar section on line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a hollow base or body A which rests on the table or other support and has an disposed and depending tube or cylinder 7) that is closed at its lower end and provided at its upper end with a lateral opening I) for the faucet or draw-off b by which the hot water is drawn from the heating chamber provided by the interior of said tube. A reservoir C rests on the top of said plate B and is removably. secured thereto in any suitable or desired manner. For example, the plate B has an arch b fixed thereon and provided with a vertical standard I) threaded at its upper end. A top or clamping ring 0 has a cross piece 0 throughwhich therod orstandard 5 extends to receive the clamping nut b whereby the lower edge of the glass globe or reservoir C is held down upon the gasket a resting on the said plate. The water is fed downward from the said reservoir by a fixed tube b that reaches practically to the bottom of the heating chamber, and which is of less diameter, of course, than the cylinder 7). Outside of this feed tube 6 there is a drum D that provides a dead air space (13, whereby the hot water is kept away from the cold water feed tube 6 and spread over the inner surface of the heating chamber in a comparatively thin layer which heats readment the heating chamber provided by the tube 6 is closed at its upper end by the,

plate B, whereby the hot water cannot rise from the said chamber into the reservoir C above, the only escape being through the faucet b by which the hot Water is drawn ofl". Of course, the expansion Will, if the device makes steam or the water gets very hot, create a back flow through the feed tube 7), the arrangement affording a relief in this .Way for back pressure. The cold Water feeds downward ithout chillin the hot water, and therev is no possibility o the hot water escaping from the top of the heating chamber into the reservoir.

The means for heating the tube or chamber 6 consists of a coil or heat unit E of any suitable material, such as nicrome, and is wound about the said chamber for the full length thereof except for a short distance at top and bottom. Terminal rings 6 are provided for circuit Wires, and a layer of terposed between the coil and the outer surface of the chamber provided by the cylinder 6, whereby the heat unit is thoroughly and safely insulated from the sheet metal structure or the heater. To prevent, as much as possible, the escape of heat, the coil or unit E is covered with a woven asbestos cloth 6 which cloth is composed of strands interwoven crosswise to form a fabric of suitable thickness. This covering is held in place by straps which have elongated rings 6 at one end. These straps are made of soft sheet metal, and are bent around the covering, the end of each strap being inserted throu h the ring at the other end therea of and then simply bent around fiatwise upon the outer surface of the strap. In this way the strap can be readily adjusted or removed, and the asbestos fabric is removably held in place.

l Vith the tcregoin' construction the water is heated quickly each time after some is drawn on" through the faucet. There will be no circulation through the reservoir while the water is heating. The heat unit is arranged in such manner that it gives the best results and highest eiiiciency. By using and applying the asbestos in fabric form 1 find that better results are obtained than by using this material in the ordinary form.

With improved construction the top Wall F constitutes means for preventing any water from the top of the heating chamber from rising into the reservoir. In other Words, no hot water can enter the bottom of the reservoir directly from the top of the heating chamber, and no cold water can enter the top of the heating chamber. The result is that there can be no interchange of hot and cold water at the top of the heating chamber.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heatin chamber, a pipe extending downward from thebottom of the reservoir to the bottom of the heatina chamber, fixed against displacement relative thereto, the said reservoir and chmnber being unconnected except for said pipe, whereby the said chamber to heat the water there pipe is the sole means oi communication between the reservoir chamber, means for drawing oh the from the top of said chamber, and a heat unit surrounding said 2. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber, a pipe extending downward from the bottom the reservoir to the bottom of the heating chamber, fixed against displacement relative thereto, the said reservoir and chamber being unconnected except for said pipe, whereby the said pipe the sole means of communication between the reservoir and chamber, means for drawing off the water from the top or said chamber, a heat unit surrounding said chamber to heat the water therein, and a drum inclosing said pipe and serving to reduce the capacity of said chamber.

3. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber, a pipe extending downward from the bottom of the reservoir to the bottom of the heating chamber, iixed against displacement relative thereto,

the said reservoir and chamber being unc0n nected except for said pipe, whereby the said pipe is the sole means of communication between the reservoir and chamber, means for drawing on" the water "from the top of said chamber, a heat unit surrounding said chamher to heat the water therein, and a woven asbestos cloth wrapping for said heat unit.

t. An electric wat r heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber, a pipe extend ing downward from the bottom oi the reservoir to the bottom of the heating chamber, fixed against displacement relative thereto, the said reservoir and chamber being unconnected except for said pipe, whereby the said pipe is the sole means of communication between the reservoir and chamber, means for drawing off the water from the top of said chamber, a heat unit surrounding said chamber to heat the water therein, an insulating wrapping for said heat unit, and flexible metal straps for holding said wrapping in place, each strap having loop at one end in which the other end is inserted and held by doubling over.

5. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber, a pipe extending downward from the bottom of the'reservoir to the bottom of the heating chamber, fixed against displacement relative thereto, the said reservoir and chamber being unconnected except for said pipe, whereby the said pipe is the sole means of communication between the reservoir and chamber, means for drawing off the water from the .top of said chamber, a heat unit surrounding said chamher to heat the water therein, and heat insulating means in the form of thin sheet between the sides of said tube and the water in said chamber.

6. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber, a pipe extending downward from the bottom of the reservoir to bottom of the heating chamber, fixed against displacement relative thereto, the said reservoir and chamber being unconnected except for said pipe, whereby the said pipe is the sole means of communica-- tion between the reservoir and chamber, means for drawing off the water from the top of said chamber, and a heat unit surrounding said chamber to heat the water therein, said chamber 1 sing within a cylinder of greater diameter than said tube, the said cylinder and tube being united by a horizontal wall at their upper ends.

7. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber, a pipe extending downward from the bottom of the reservoir to the bottom of the heating chamber, fixed against displacement relative thereto, the said reservoir and chamber being unconnected except for said pipe, whereby the said pipe is the sole means of communication between the reservoir and chamber, means for drawing off the water from the top of said chamber, a heat unit surround-' ing said chamber to heat the water therein, and said reservoir being formed by an open top receptacle removably mounted on the marginal portion of said wall.

8. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber below said reservoir, separated therefrom, a feed pipe extending downward from said reservoir, within said chamber, means for preventing any hot water in said chamber from escaping directly from the top thereof into the bottom of said reservoir, said means including a plate fixed to the top of said chamber, means around said pipe for reducing thecapacity of said chamber, serving to insulate the outer wall of hot water from the said pipe, a heating unit around said chamber, and a device for drawing off the hot water from thetop of said chamber.

9. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber below said reservoir, separated therefrom, a feed pipe extending downward from said reservoir, within said chamber, means for preventing any hot water in said chamber from escaping directly from the top thereof into the bottom of said reservoir, said means including a plate which supports said reservoir, means around said pipe for reducing the capacity of said chamber, fixed to the bottom of said plate, serving to insulate the outer wall of hot water from the said pipe,

a heating unit around said chamber, a device for drawing oif the hot water from the top of said last mentioned chamber,

said means comprising a drum, and said chamber and drum holding the water in the form of a hollow cylinder the walls of which are readily heated by said unit.

10. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber below said reservoir, separated therefrom, a feed pipe extending downward from said reservoir, within said chamber, means for preventing any hot water in said chamber from escaping directly from the top thereof into the bottom of. said reservoir, said means including a plate fixed to said pipe, means around said pipe for reducing the capacity of said chamber, fixed to said plate, serving to insulate the outer wall of hot water from the said pipe, a heating unit around said 0113.111"

her, a device for drawing off the hot water from the top of said chamber, said means comprising an air-tight drum the walls of which are spaced from the sides of said tube, and said chamber having cylindric walls spaced a distance from said drum.

11. An electric water heater comprising a reservoir, a heating chamber below said reservoir, separated therefrom, a feed pipe extending downward from saidreservoir, a heating unit outside of said chamber, means for drawing off the hot water from the top of said chamber, and means for preventing the hot water in the top of said chamber 

